It's Burns night but there's no haggis!

Week 4

Happy Burns Night to all you haggis lovers!

To everyone else, don't panic! I'm not going to mention the 'H' word again. Having spent my formative years staring at a tea towel that explained in detail what it's made of and how to make it, I'm not the greatest fan. It's a bit like foie gras where you're better off not knowing the background story!

So instead, I'm going to talk about something that many people love, an idea of where to spend a romantic evening, and a suggestion for a quiet tete-a-tete at home, all in the interest of planning (and booking) ahead for Valentine's Day!

Yes, it's three weeks early but there's nothing like forward planning! And it means I can talk about my Food of the Week which is...

Chocolate!

According to Wikipedia (sue them not me please) who in turn cite a BBC report, melting chocolate in one's mouth produces an increase in brain activity and heart rate that is more intense than that associated with passionate kissing, and also lasts four times as long after the activity ends.

Wikipedia then goes on to say that there is no proof that chocolate is indeed an aphrodisiac but is of course associated with chocolate heart type gifts at Valentines

Take from that what you will but for me it's all about a little of what you fancy does you good and if I was choosing to buy chocolate in London, I would consider the following three shops:

1) Melt, Notting Hill. Great chocolate lollipops and Valentines gifts but the shop is too white. It's chocolate, it should be darker!
2) l'Artisan du Chocolat, Notting Hill, Sloane Square, Borough Market, Selfridges. Weird and wonderful flavours from banana to sage and thyme to balsamic vinegar, beautiful heart shaped selections for Valentines, lots and lots of salted caramels
3) Paul A Young, The Royal Exchange at Bank and Camden Passage.



Paul A Young is my favourite. I love this shop at the Royal Exchange - it oozes chocolateness and quality at the same time. It's tiny and wood panelled and full of amazing products. Everything is beautiful.



So what's the difference?

Paul A Young's shop is the only shop in London where chocolates are personally handmade on the premises. They are so fresh they have a shelf life of just seven days!

Paul was the first to bring his award winning salted caramels to the London market and consistently innovates with concoctions such as his take on the much loved walnut whip (he calls it a caramel pecan mallow!), gold, frankincense and myrrh chocolate at Christmas time and the latest 'love it or hate it' Marmite Truffle!



An extra bonus is for those people who suffer from dairy intolerances as his bar and pavé ranges are dairy free. (Pavé are boxes containing about 7-8 layers of chocolate about 10 cm square)

Best Way to Serve

Pair these chocolates with cognac, rum, single malt whisky, dessert wine or even cabernet sauvignon. But not all at the same time.

Where can I buy it and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Paul A Young, Royal Exchange, Bank
www.paulayoung.co.uk

This chocolate is expensive because it's the real thing. Fortunately it's very rich so you'll only eat a little bit at a time but it's definitely a special occasion product to purchase just after payday. But you won't regret it!

Price: £11.95 for 200g pavé or £14 for a box of nine fresh truffles

Restaurant of the Week

The Thomas Cubitt

This week's choice is The Thomas Cubitt at 44 Elizabeth Street, London, SW1W 9PA between Victoria and Sloane Square tube stations inb the heart of Belgravia.
www.thethomascubitt.co.uk




Why is it good?
1) It has everything all in one place - a pub with the gastro section downstairs, a white tablecloth restaurant upstairs and a private dining room by arrangement
2) It's all about great British food and seasonal produce
3) The upstairs section is perfect for a Valentines table for two and it's only s ahort walk back to Victoria station afterwards!

The downstairs pub is more informal and quite noisy with a slightly upmarket gastropub menu offering organic beef burgers, rib eye steak, beer battered fish and chips, Gressingham duck - around £10-15 for a main course.

The upstairs dining room is quieter, with much more of a real restaurant feel about it. It even has white tablecloths (unusual in one of my picks) and serves dishes such as oysters, belly of pork, wild venison fillet, stuffed saddle of rabbit between £17 and £25. For me this is somewhere that feels like quite a treat but is still quite casual in its approach so it doesn't make you feel out of place. Average dinner spend £40-50.



And finally...

If you're just looking to have a great night in and want something special without too much preparation or hassle, here is this week's suggestion (including a veggie option!)

Starter
Parma Ham with slivers of fresh orange

Ideally, get parma ham that melts in your mouth, freshly and properly sliced - try the affable and informative Philip at Borough Market
Avoid melon or figs which are out of season. Decorate with slivers of fresh orange segments and drizzle some olive oil over the top.

Serve with proper bread and real butter (see first blog of 2010 for details!)

Main
Lamb cutlets gently grilled so they are still pink in the middle (5-6 minutes each side) served with broccoli and roasted parsnips (you can get the parsnips going early to avoid last minute stress)

Pud
If really necessary, do a very seasonal blood orange and rosewater jelly. Allegra McEvedy has a great recipe that you can do in advance. If you put it in a champagne glass, it looks like you're really clever.
Otherwise and obligatory are decent chocolates and cognac (as above)

Veggie option
Starter
Buffalo mozzarella (see Philip again) with a wasabi and lime dressing. Yes it sounds odd but it's refreshingly delicious and the standard tomato accompaniment is just no good in winter. Don't go overboard with the lime and add a little olive oil.

Serve with proper bread and real butter (see first blog of 2010 for details!)

Main
Roasted squash stuffed with goats cheese and mixed peppers/courgettes (again you can get the squash going early to avoid last minute stress)

Pud - As before

Che - three letters that start a revolution

Week 3

The snow has melted - hurrah! But it's all gone very grey - boo!

Christmas seems like a long long time ago and we're struggling with those New Year's resolutions... so stuff that idea and start enjoying life again with something nice!

Food of the Week

Stichelton cheese



To the normal eye, this stuff looks like Stilton, smells like Stilton and tastes like an amazingly fantastic Stilton but those three extra letters 'che' make all the difference and are creating a revolution of their own!

It's not a Stilton. Stilton refers to the cheese that we know and love that only six dairies across Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire are licensed to produce using locally produced, pasteurised milk according to EU law.

Stichelton is different. It's still made in Nottinghamshire but the main difference is that it uses 'raw' unpasteurised organic milk (as many traditional English cheeses used to be made). Because of the 'raw' milk, it has to be called something different and so the name Stichelton was chosen - the ancient name of Stilton town as per the Domesday Book.

So what's the difference?

I bought some for Christmas and found it a much softer, creamier cheese than you would expect from a Stilton, still with a strong and distinctive tang from the blue mould and an exceptionally long aftertaste. Everyone loved it, remarked on it's 'delicious-ness' and it disappeared very quickly!
Try it and I'm sure you'll agree this is in a different league.



Best Way to Serve

So there's not much left from Christmas now, but there's definitely a few of us who are stockpiling the Christmas cake! Brighten up a January evening with a chunk of Stichelton, a hunk of Christmas cake and a large glass of port or red wine.

For a slightly healthier option and in tune with the seasons, try a salad of chopped chicory, sliced apple, crumbled Stichelton and some walnuts, topped with a simple vinaigrette.

A little known fact...

Britain now boasts around 700 varieties of cheese – 100 more varieties than France produces, and twice as many as Italy*.

Where can I buy it and what's it going to do to my bank balance?

Borough Market (in the new Jubilee Market section), open Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Neals Yard Dairy: Covent Garden and London Bridge, open Mondays to Saturdays
www.nealsyarddairy.co.uk

Price: £23.50 for 1kg so about a fiver for a substantial chunk



Restaurant of the Week

32 Great Queen Street

This week's choice is 32 Great Queen Street on...surprise suprise! 32 Great Queen Street between Covent Garden and Holborn tube stations
There is no website so you'll have to call them to book a table on 020 7242 0622



Why is it good?
1) It's a great location
2) It's all about great British food and seasonal produce
3) It's relaxed and it's not too expensive and you can get a good range of wines by the glass and by the carafe too

It's like the best gastro pub you've been to, up a level, in a comfortable, seated environment without the pub bit. Almost like a British version of a Paris brasserie without the old men drinking Pastis. Around £30-40 per head.

Try the rib of beef for two with twice cooked chips. They insist (understandably) on serving it rare so prepare yourself to be like a caveman for the time it takes to finish it off. They also have great fish and vegetarian dishes on offer.



*Source: Julia Harbutt, organiser of British Cheese Awards

Something to Warm You Up...!

Week 2

As I trudged through the slush and the snow of the past week, it became very apparent that most people [sensibly] choose to stay indoors when it's so cold. Personally, I like it when it's freezing cold so long as a) it's sunny and b) I have 20 layers of clothes on although I have started to be known as Tinky Winky on those occasions.

Susan's Thought for the Week
Staying in is the new going out in January.
Instead of spending £20 on an average meal in a restaurant, spend £10 on nicer ingredients for a great home cooked meal. You eat well and you just saved yourself [at least!] a tenner.

So it's new year and we're strapped for cash and it's cold so we're staying in.
And I thought I'd let you into a little secret...!

Food of the Week

La Chinata Smoked Paprika (Hot).



I love this stuff! A friend gave me a tin a long, long time ago and it gestated in the corner of my cupboard for an even longer time as I wondered what to do with it. And then I tried it one day and the world was transformed.

This smoked paprika gives a warm and smoky flavour to your dishes. It won't make you sweat (unless you add half the tin) but it does give a real zing to things that could otherwise be a bit dull.

It comes from Spain and this particular brand comes from an area west of Madrid called 'La Vera' which is known for its high quality red peppers. The paprika is made from ground red peppers which have been smoked over oak fires to dry them. Apparently there are sweet and bittersweet varieties too but I haven't tried them - let me know if you have!

Best Way to Serve

I use smoked paprika in anything that is slightly creamy, so it goes really well in creamy pasta sauces, stroganoffs or just plain chicken (or seasonal turkey) in a white sauce. Mix it with mayonnaise (try it with eggs), creme fraiche and serve it hot or cold with canapés or main meals.

So do your roast chicken on a Sunday. Pull off what's left of the chicken meat and make it into a zingy chicken supreme on Monday (recipe below) and then boil up the chicken carcass to make stock for a chicken based soup on the Tuesday.

And if you really don't like cooking, then buy a ready meal and stir in a spoonful - you won't be disappointed!

Where can I buy it and what's it going to do to my bank balance?



Brindisa Shop by London Bridge, open Tuesdays to Saturdays: www.brindisashops.com
Also in some Sainsburys
£2.75 for a 70g tin that will last you ages.

Restaurant of the Week

This week's choice is Mirch Masala with branches in Tooting (the best!), Norbury, Southall, Croydon, Ilford and Commercial Road
www.mirchmasalarestaurant.co.uk
Curry always keeps you warm!


Oven baking rotis

Why is it good?
1) It's proper curry made by people who know how to make good curry for people who know what good curry tastes like.
2) It's cheap and friendly! (You're unlikely to pay more than £15 a head - bring your own alcohol)
3) You can see your food being prepared in the open kitchen and there's definitely no ready to use sauces in here

Try the Chilli Bhajia, the Lamb Tikka (or Lamb Cutlets) as starters. Karahi Ginger Chicken is packed full of ginger and the Karahi Kebab Egg curry is delicious. Also try Karahi Corn-on-the-Cob for something a bit different!





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Zingy Chicken Supreme

Melt a knob of butter in a saucepan and add in half a small chopped onion. Fry on a low heat until the onion is translucent. Add in a dessertspoonful of flour and mix it all up to a lump free (apart from the onion) paste. Keep stirring as you add in half milk and half chicken stock, a bit at a time, until you have a smooth sauce that isn't really runny but isn't like treacle either.
Season with salt and pepper and stir in a teaspoon (or two - you'll have to keep tasting to see how you like it) of your special secret magic ingredient also known as smoked paprika. Add in the left over meat from the roast chicken that you've torn off the carcass and cook until it's heated through. You can add in some chopped mushrooms or leeks as well if you want to get to your 5 a day. Serve with rice.

2010: The Year of Eating Better!

Why am I doing this?!

To celebrate the start of a new decade, I will provide a weekly foodie update that will hopefully help you to:

a) find really nice foods - in London
b) learn really easy ways to enjoy them (I'm not a chef so it won't be complicated)
c) enjoy really good, value for money restaurants - in London

I regularly get asked these questions by friends and family so by creating a blog, I'm hoping that this information can be enjoyed by a much wider group of people and that more people can contribute their ideas.

Susan's Thought for the Year
Apparently we waste 33% of the food we purchase, mainly down to supermarket promo offers which encourage us to buy more than we need.
The solution: buy less but buy better quality - I guarantee you'll waste a lot less

The first instalment!

Food of the Week

Contrary to expectations that I'll talk about something mindblowing at this point, I'm going to talk about ... butter.



Butter is one of the most basic ingredients in the world. Chefs love it and nutritionists hate it. Occasionally, some of us allow ourselves the luxury of something pre-packed from a supermarket...but when you try the following. you'll never buy pre packed butter again!

Go to the Real France stall (in the new Jubilee Market at Borough Market*) where, amongst other dairy products, they sell loose butter in salted, unsalted and a salted unpasteurised variant. TRY THE UNSALTED VERSION!



Real France butter comes from Echiré in Western France and, according to Alex who sources it, owes it's amazing taste to the fact that the cream is churned on the very same day that it arrives on the dairy. In addition, the butter is washed in spring water (from the dairy's own spring) and it's also the only dairy in France that churns in teak wood.

n.b. Alex knows a thing or two about good food as he used to work for 3* Michelin chef Nico Ladenis of Chez Nico fame...

Best Way to Serve
I'll make this really easy! Get some really good bread (if you're at Borough already, go to the Flour Station for their multigrain bread) and spread the butter on top. Eat.
If you want, add some smoked salmon on top and cut into squares for canapés.
The best things in life are simple - try this and you'll agree!

Price: £12 per 100g. In real terms this works out at an extra £1 vs the supermarket. Which isn't really very much for a mindblowing taste experience of what butter should really taste like!

Restaurant of the Week
Terroirs, 5, William IV Street, WC2, (very close to Charing Cross station)
www.terroirswinebar.com

Why is it good?
1) Great location, casual with a friendly atmosphere
2) Excellent service (the staff have always been very good when I've been there)
3) Good choice of wines and a simple, quality food offer including great small sharing plates of charcuterie (the terrine and salami are extremely good), as well as larger seasonal plates including tartiflette, Dorset crab or bavette. Expect to spend £20-£30 per person on a normal evening.
3b) I like their logo
At peak times, book a table in advance...

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Is this helpful? Send me your comments!



*Borough Market is open on Thursdays, Fridays or Saturdays. Finding the new Jubilee Market section is not easy as someone has cleverly chosen signage that blends into the surroundings! Best thing is to ask a trader for directions or head towards The Rake bar or Vinopolis and you should see the stalls...